Pericardial Effusion Complicated by Tamponade: a Case Report Michele Montandona MD, Rae Wakea BM and Stephen Raimonb MBBS
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SSMJ Vol 5. No 4. November 2012 Downloaded from www.southsudanmedicaljournal.com MAIN ARTICLES Pericardial effusion complicated by tamponade: a case report Michele Montandona MD, Rae Wakea BM and Stephen Raimonb MBBS Introduction effusion of about 2 cm, right atrial collapse and right Pericardial effusion is fluid in the space between the ventricular collapse in diastole (Figure 2). heart and the pericardial sac. There are many causes HIV testing was negative. A further chest Xray showed of pericardial effusion, with infection (viral and TB) as the same features as the one that was brought with the the most common. If fluid rapidly accumulates in the patient. pericardial space, like in chest trauma, this fluid can Treatment and progress compress the heart (cardiac tamponade) and cause The physical examination suggested and cardiac circulatory failure. With slow accumulation of fluid, the ultrasound confirmed cardiac tamponade. An emergency pericardial sac will stretch to accommodate the fluid. pericardiocentesis was performed by a subxiphoid However, if fluid continues to accumulate, tamponade will approach using ultrasound guidance. Only 75mL of eventually occur. This is an emergency situation requiring serous (clear-yellow) fluid could be aspirated before the aspiration of pericardial fluid (pericardiocentesis). needle became blocked. However the blood pressure rose History and physical examination to 130/100 and the patient became haemodynamically stable. The pericardial fluid was smear positive for AFB so A 40-year-old South Sudanese man was referred from a the patient was started on anti-TB therapy. Unfortunately, state hospital. He complained of fever, cough productive he passed away two days later. The precise cause of death of mucoid sputum without haemoptysis and chest pain is not known but may have been due to re-accumulation for four months. He also reported weight loss for two of pericardial fluid and cardiac tamponade. months and abdominal and lower limb swelling for one month. In addition he had fatigue, palpitations and Comment exertional dyspnoea but denied orthopnoea. The patient presented with cardiac tamponade, the most He had no past history of medical or surgical severe complication of TB pericarditis. The key to urgent conditions, no known tuberculosis contacts and had never treatment was the fact that the clinicians were aware of been tested for HIV. this possible diagnosis, which was confirmed with bedside cardiac ultrasonography. Emergency pericardiocentesis On physical examination he was wasted and sleepy was possible using ultrasound to guide the insertion of but oriented and speaking in full sentences. Glasgow Coma Score 15/15. Pulse 102/minute and weak and thready. Respiratory rate 40/minute. Blood pressure 80/40. Pale but no jaundice. Pitting lower limb oedema up to the knees. Chest auscultation revealed crackles at both bases. The heart sounds were muffled but there were no added sounds, murmurs or friction rubs. The jugular venous pressure could not be determined. The abdomen was soft, distended with a fluid thrill and tender hepatosplenomegaly. Bowel sounds were normal. Investigations The patient brought a chest X-ray from the state hospital and this showed a massively enlarged cardiac silhouette and bilateral pulmonary infiltrates or oedema (Figure 1). An urgent bedside ultrasound showed a large pericardial a Massachussetts General Hospital, Department of Emergency Figure 1. Chest X-ray demonstrating enlarged cardiac silhouette Medicine, Division of Global Health and Human Rights, Boston, and bilateral pulmonary infiltrates or oedema (credit: Rae Wake. MA, USA. Permission obtained from patient) b Juba Teaching Hospital, Juba, South Sudan South Sudan Medical Journal 89 Vol 5. No 4. November 2012 SSMJ Vol 5 No 4. November 2012 Downloaded from www.southsudanmedicaljournal.com MAIN ARTICLES but it can be difficult to tell if a large heart is due to dilated cardiomyopathy or pericardial effusion. Ultrasound easily detects a large pericardial effusion: the fluid appears anechoic or black around the heart. The right atrium and right ventricle appear collapsed with dilation of the inferior vena cava [2]. In this case, the underlying cause of the pericardial effusion was rapidly established by the positive AFB smear test. However the other differential diagnoses would have included those Figure 2. Cardiac ultrasound demonstrating large pericardial effusion and right ventricular in Table 1. collapse. Impaired filling of the right ventricle during diastole is visible (arrow) during inspiration. This even increases during expiration, when right ventricle almost collapses (2 arrows). (Courtesy Tuberculous (TB) pericarditis Dr. Tom Heller, Munich) Epidemiology the aspirating needle. Nevertheless, prognosis is poor Tuberculous pericarditis, caused by once the condition has progressed to cardiac tamponade, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, is found in approximately 1% of and early diagnosis and treatment of TB pericarditis may all autopsied cases of TB and in 1% to 2% of instances prevent this potentially fatal complication. of pulmonary TB. It is the most common cause of pericarditis in Africa [3]. In one series from the Western classically presents with shortness of Pericarditis Cape Province of South Africa, tuberculous pericarditis breath and chest pain that is sharp, sudden, pleuritic and accounted for 69.5% (162 of 233) of cases referred for is relieved by sitting forward. A pericardial friction rub diagnostic pericardiocentesis [4]. By contrast, tuberculous may be heard at the left sternal border but this disappears pericarditis accounts for only 4% of cases in developed when fluid accumulates. countries [3]. The incidence of tuberculous pericarditis in Cardiac tamponade occurs when fluid in the sub-Saharan Africa is increasing as a result of the human pericardial space accumulates faster than the pericardial immunodeficiency virus (HIV) epidemic, and this trend is sac can stretch and so causes high pressure compressing likely to appear in other parts of the world [5,6]. the heart and preventing the heart from expanding fully. Recent studies of patients with TB pericarditis in sub- For example, in cardiac trauma where blood fills the Saharan Africa found the overall mortality rate in the space quickly, as little as 100mL can cause tamponade. range of 17-27%. Risk of death was higher in patients However, if the fluid accumulates more slowly as with TB with HIV infection, older age, and co-existing pulmonary pericarditis, the pericardial sac can expand to hold over tuberculosis [7,8]. one litre of fluid before critical compression arises [1]. Diagnosis The three classical signs of cardiac tamponade (also Pericardial fluid has a poor yield of about 2% (range called Beck’s triad) are hypotension, jugular venous 0-42% reported) of acid fast bacilli (AFB) on smear distention, and muffled heart sounds. Hypotension results from decreased cardiac output, jugular-venous examination but TB culture is positive in 38-56% [8]. We distension results from impaired venous return to the were therefore fortunate to find AFB on a smear from our heart and, muffled heart sounds are due to pericardial patient. A raised lymphocyte count, adenosine deaminase, fluid. There are other physical signs that may indicate protein and lactate dehydrogenase levels in the pericardial cardiac tamponade. On inspiration the central venous fluid are useful indicators of TB [9]. pressure (jugular venous pressure) would normally fall An adequate clinical assessment as described for our but with tamponade this rises. Pulsus paradoxus is the patient is always important but even more so in the absence finding of a fall in the systolic blood pressure of more of reliable laboratory tests. Evaluation for pulmonary TB than 10mmHg when the patient inspires [2]. (chest Xray and sputum AFB) and HIV may help guide your clinical diagnosis. The chest Xray of a patient with large pericardial effusion shows a large “boot-shaped” cardiac silhouette Patients from TB endemic areas who present with South Sudan Medical Journal 90 Vol 5. No 4. November 2012 SSMJ Vol 5. No 4. November 2012 Downloaded from www.southsudanmedicaljournal.com MAIN ARTICLES • Recommended treatment for TB pericarditis Table 1. Causes of pericarditis or pericardial effusion [1] includes standard 4 drug anti-TB therapy for a six Infection- viral, TB, bacterial, fungal, HIV months’ course, as well as prednisolone daily for Malignancy at least 2-3 weeks. • Primary Acknowledgement • Metastatic We thank the CEO of JTH and Dr Elijah in Post-cardiac injury syndrome (after trauma or cardiothoracic surgery) whose Medical Department we carried out this case Acute myocardial infarction (acute, delayed) study - with the verbal permission of the patient Metabolic-uremia, hypothyroidism References Collagen vascular diseases- rheumatoid arthritis, lupus erythematosus 1. Little WC, Freeman GL. Contemporary Reviews in Radiation Cardiovascular Medicine: Pericardial Disease. Circulation. Idiopathic 2006; 113: 1622-1632. 2. Khandaker MH, Espinosa RE, Nishimura RA, Sinak pericarditis must be regarded with a high index of LJ, Hayes SN, Melduni RM et al. Pericardial Disease: suspicion. In the absence of an alternative diagnosis, Diagnosis and Management. Mayo Clinic Proc. 2010 June; 85(6):572-593 patients should be started on empirical anti-tuberculosis treatment irrespective of test results [5]. 3. Mayosi BM, Burgess LJ, Doubell AF. Tuberculous Pericarditis. Circulation. 2005;112:3608-3616 Treatment 4. Sagrista-Sauleda